Thomas's Trouble with Cows
by Bronynumber606
Summary: Thomas has a busy day ahead of him, but the Fat Controller leaves him with a haunting warning. What does it mean?


Thomas the Tank Engine was puffing happily along his branch line towards the station to pick up Annie and Clarabel. "What a marvelous day it is!" exclaimed Thomas, brightly. He chugged in to the station beaming brightly, just in time to see Sir Topham hatt walk out of his office. "Thomas, you are always really reliable and right on time!" he congratulated. "Now Thomas, I need you to take Annie and Clarabel to the docks, where the holiday makers will climb in. You will then take them straight to the Transfer Yard, where they will disembark and board Skarloey. Afterwards, take them past Farmer McColl's farm to Knapford station, where their bus will take them away. Be on time Thomas. And remember. Do NOT hit ANY cows." instructed Sir Topham Hatt. "Of course, sir!" peeped Thomas, "I'll be right on my way!" And he merrily chuffed off.

As Thomas puffed along to the docks with Annie and Clarabel, he took time to notice how beautiful the sky looked that day. "Bust my buffers, it really is splendid out!" he said cheerily. "It would really spoil my day if I hit a cow!" Soon, Thomas had to stop at a signal. He waited and waited for the signal to shine green, but it wouldn't. Soon, Percy pulled up, pulling the mail. "Hi, Thomas! What are you doing out and about?" "Hello, Percy! I'm going to the docks, where I'll collect my very special special of holiday makers from the mainland!" "Sounds fun, Thomas!" Just then, a freight train rumbled by, and Thomas's light switched to green. "Well, Percy, it seems I have to go! I'll talk to you later, in the sheds." Thomas tooted, starting to steam away. "OK, Thomas, bye! And make sure to not hit any cows!" Percy said "I will, Percy!"

Thomas arrived at the docks in record time, almost beating Gordon's special express time. "Ah, well." he tooted, "I'll save that for another day. Soon, the holiday makers got off their cruise and climbed into Annie and Clarabel. A little boy walked up to Thomas. "Thomas, please don't hit any cows, I'm deathly allergic to dairy." "Ok, but get in quickly please!" Thomas huffed, steaming and ready to go. "I sure hope I don't hit any cows, or else the Fat Controller will be very cross with me!" As soon as everyone was on, he hurried away, determined to get to the Transfer Yard before Skarloey.

Thomas scampered into the yard, beating Skarloey by inches. He wheeshed exhaustedly, his wheels were worn and he needed a drink. But his driver refused. "Thomas, what would the Fat Controller say if we were late?" "You're right." agreed Thomas, reluctantly. After an hour, Skarloey brightly rolled back into the station, smiling at Thomas once he had pulled in. "You're lucky now, Thomas! They're all worn out! It won't be hard now to get them back. Don't hit any cows!" "Thank you, Skarloey. I'll try not to." Once again, Thomas waited until all his passengers were on board, and chugged away, a little less energetic, this time.

As they rumbled over the bridge that led to Farmer McColl's, Thomas wondered if it hurt to hit cows. "Of course it hurts to hit a cow," Thomas thought to himself. "that must be why the Fat Controller told me not to." Not long after he had settled his thoughts, he saw something ahead on the tracks.

"Driver, what's that ahead?" he asked. "It's nothing Thomas, now go faster, we mustn't be late!" But Thomas didn't want to. He knew that what was up ahead was a herd of cows! "Driver, those are cows! We have to stop! Fat Controller's orders!" "NO, Thomas. We mustn't make these people late!" Thomas's driver extended the throttle as far as it would go, but under the stress, it snapped off! With no options, the driver started to twist the brake out of its holster, yanking Thomas's whistle in a frantic attempt to drive the cows away.

"What are you doing?!" cried the fireman. "You'll kill us all!" "No! We MUSTN'T. BE. LATE!" roared the driver. And with that, the driver pushed the fireman out of the cab, leaving him alone in a field of daisies. "At least I'm not hurt." he sighed, but unbeknownst to him, he was fatally allergic to pollen. "WE! CAN'T! BE! LATE!" the driver screeched, and ripped the brake out of the handle. "Driver, NO!" screamed Thomas. He was quite frightened. He didn't want to crash! "There's nothing we can do, Thomas!" yelled the driver, and he promptly jumped out, snapping his neck on a signal as he landed. "Cinders and ASHES!" cried Thomas, as they grew dangerously close to the herd, and shut his eyes.

They CRASHED into the cows, frightened "moo!"s and screams of tourists mixing the air. Thomas careened off the tracks, squashing cows left and right, as they stupidly stood in the way. Thomas, now quite shaken, crashed headlong into the barn, killing all the horses and sheep inside. Annie and Clarabel had been uncoupled from Thomas, and continued down the track for a good 100 feet before Annie derailed and Clarabel telescoped into Annie's first class department, killing everyone inside. The two continued down the track until they came to a stop at a ditch.

Later, Sir Topham Hatt arrived on the breakdown train. He was very cross with Thomas. "Thomas, how dare you disobey my orders! You were told to not hit any cows, and went right ahead and killed a whole flock of them! You have caused confusion and delay!" Thomas tried to speak, "But sir, I-" "Thomas, I don't want to hear it." growled the Fat Controller, sternly. "You will now stay in your shed for a month to think about your actions, while Annie and Clarabel are scrapped and Farmer McColl's barn is rebuilt using THEIR scrap metal." "Yes Sir. I'm sorry, sir." said Thomas sadly. And he was pulled up onto a flatbed with a groan. "Ow!" he said. Duck buffered up to Thomas, and pushed him home to the sheds.


End file.
